


Steven's Nightmare

by Chromite



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Bad Dreams, Comforting, Takes place between Mindful Education and Steven's Dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 23:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19840969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chromite/pseuds/Chromite
Summary: Steven has a nightmare. Pearl helps calm him back down.





	Steven's Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> This story would take place before they could heal gems, but after "Mindful Education" happened and Steven started thinking about how Jasper corrupted again.

>Night has fallen across Beach City. Steven sleeps in his room soundly under his sheets, getting a well deserved rest. Near the kitchen, Pearl sits upon the ground, folding Steven's laundry and smiling, glancing up at his sleeping form every so often. Despite Steven telling her he didn't want her watching him sleep anymore, she found herself unable to stop entirely.  
>Pearl's brows furrowed as she began hearing light moans of distress coming from the loft. She finishes folding the shirt in her hands before putting it down in the folded pile and moving quietly towards the loft.  
>Pearl frowns as she sees Steven toss and turn in his sleep, his movements throwing the covers off his body.  
>Then Steven sits up suddenly, screaming out as tears start flowing down his cheeks. Pearl jumps back, startled by his sudden movements.  
>Pearl takes a moment to compose herself before she wraps her arms around the shouting boy, gently stroking his hair. "Steven, Steven it's okay, calm down. You're safe, you're in your home, everything's fine." She repeats the words over and over as she holds Steven close.  
>After a few moments, Steven's screaming stops as his body starts to relax and he realizes Pearl is holding him. Steven leans his head back to look up at Pearl, tears still running down his face "P-Pearl? Oh Pearl, I h-had a h-horrible nightmare!"  
>"Shhh, it's okay Steven. Would you like to talk about it?"  
>Steven meekly nodded before letting his head come back down. "I, I dr-dreamed we were on a m-mission, a-and you all got bit by a c-corrupted gem! Y-your bodies started breaking out in sp-spots and tw-twisting into horrible forms! I, I tried to heal you, b-but it wouldn't work, y-you kept corrupting until you were monsters! Th-then you all started chasing after me!"  
>"Oh Steven. Did you watch something scary before bed again?"  
>Steven fidgeted nervously. "I....I might have watched a werewolf movie right before bed."  
>"Steven, you know those things give you nightmares if you watch them too late. I promise, you can't corrupt from being bitten by a corrupted gem."  
>"Y-you're sure?"  
>"Yes, I'm sure Steven. We've all been bitten and scratched a lot over the millennia, nothing more than poofing ever happened to us."  
>"Th-thanks Pearl. I feel better now. Can.....will you sit with me until I fall back asleep?"  
>"Of course I will." Pearl smiled as she crawled onto Steven's bed and sat the boy on her lap, wrapping her arms around him again and holding him close. Pearl began humming a soft melody as she rocked herself and Steven back and forward.  
>Slowly, Steven's eyes began to droop, his body relaxing in Pearl's embrace as he drifted back to sleep. Pearl gently stroked his hair while she kept humming until she was sure he was fully asleep.  
>Pearl carefully lowered Steven's body gently to the bed, and covered him up with his sheets. Smiling, she laid down next to him, cuddling in close and hoping her presence would help him sleep through the rest of the night.  
>Pearl found herself drifting off before too long, her gem covered by the sheets on the bed, blocking her gem from projecting an image or creating sound.  
>In the morning, Steven smiled as he woke up and discovered Pearl still sleeping.  
>"Thanks Pearl." Steven whispers as he kisses her cheek and covers her body with the sheets, making sure her gem stays covered before he exits the loft to get ready for a new day.


End file.
